Lights, camera, action! A Hollywood theme makes an exciting Post-Prom event. Capture Hollywood glamour for your Post-Prom with our dazzling array of decorations. Start your planning by checking out our fun and festive tips below.
Decorations
• Before you select your decorations, choose a color theme to work with. Generally, working with two colors works best. For an authentic Hollywood theme, choose either black & gold, or black & silver as your theme colors.
• Start your decorating outside the front door of your Post-Prom location. Roll out the red carpet for your guests by using rolls of red seamless paper or red poly vinyl from curbside to the entry doors.
• If you are in the mood to splurge, arrange to have a white limousine parked in front! It will make a fantastic backdrop for photographs!
• Lavishly use the standard razzle-dazzle Hollywood décor: movie clapboards, film reels, movie cameras, film cans, top hats and canes, feather boas, director’s chairs, decorative palm trees, and spotlights.
• Sprinkle stars in all sizes over everything: entryways, tables, ceilings, walls, and tucked inside invitations. Use star confetti, star garland, die-cut stars, star mylar balloons and star gossamer (a light filmy fabric that is wonderful for swags and accents).
• To decorate a large area, there are large decorating kits that would be perfect for this themed party.
• Use life-sized cutouts of Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart around your party rooms to make guests feel they are truly in Tinseltown.
• Hang black & white 8″ X 10″ glossy photographs of Hollywood legends.
• There are hundreds of decorations in silver and gold. Glittery metallic curtains, huge inexpensive “chandeliers”, gold and silver gossamer, and zillions of silver and gold balloons just to start with! To add some extra flare to your party…purchase several cans of silver and gold spray paint, and cover anything and everything (not living) in your theme colors. A few suggestions? Cover disposable cameras, serving dishes (even inexpensive plastic can be sprayed), old chairs…the possibilities are endless.
• Never underestimate the power of decorating with balloons, as they can transform any room into a cozy and festive space in minutes at a very low cost. Balloon arches are ideal for entryways, photo backdrops, or to highlight different areas around a party room. Balloon strands and swags are the perfect accessory to hang across the ceiling of a large ballroom, tent or gymnasium. For a very dramatic look, outline a dance floor or the perimeter of a room with balloon strands. Balloon columns work much the same way that balloon arches do, in that they are ideal when placed at entryways, for use as a photo backdrop, or as a terrific splash of color placed at intervals around a party room.
• Add twinkle lights to balloon arches, strands, columns or clouds, to gossamer swags and ceiling tents, table edges, or around the perimeter of a room.
Tableware
• For tables, use floral sheeting – it will create an awesome effect and add to the Tinseltown tone of the evening.
• Metallic silver or gold paper goods will fit the Hollywood theme well.
• For an original touch, use a paint pen in a color to complement your theme colors to draw random dots or squiggles on the handles of plastic cutlery. Tie the plastic flatware together with floral, satin or metallic ribbon…big impact at a little price!
• Order napkins imprinted with your special theme slogan, and wording to recognize your Post-Prom. Choose from a wide range of napkin and ink colors. Select a metallic foil, holographic foil, prismatic foil, or traditional ink imprint.
Favors
Rather than waiting until your guests are making their exit to give them a party favor, some favors can be given during the party, which will add color and glitz! The following favors will appeal to all your Post-Prom guests
• One of the most economical and fun favors is a bottle of personalized bubbles. The label on our bubbles can be imprinted with your theme slogan or special design graphic, in your color of choice. The bubbles look great on tables as a stand-alone favor, or you can tie a piece of curling ribbon in an accent color to the neck of the bubbles.
• Mini Film Roll Containers can be filled with mints and candy.
• Give students frames imprinted with special party details…your party slogan and the date! Try our clapboard frame or film roll frame. Use either a Polaroid™ camera to send a picture home with your guests, or mail souvenir photos at a later date.
• Use a Lights, Camera, Action key tags as napkin holders, then give them to guests as favors at the end of the evening.
• Think glow in the dark! Check out glow in the dark bracelets and necklaces.
• Fill mini top hats and mini champagne glasses with mints and nuts, and watch the tiny favors fly out the door at the end of the party!
Food
• Serve dry snacks and appetizers in metallic or black flocked top hats turned upside down.
• Serve popcorn smothered in hot, melted butter, Raisinettes, Snowcaps, Nachos loaded with melted Velveeta™ Cheese, and fountain soda! Movie theatre food is always a hit!
Entertainment
One element that is essential to a Hollywood Party is to have a photographer available to take plenty of pictures to capture the magic of the evening. Create a photo backdrop, and encourage all the guests to stop by to have a picture taken. Posing and “glamming it up” is highly encouraged! The photographs can then be used as a party favor, along with a frame imprinted with your party slogan to commemorate the evening.
• For more informal photographs recruit a friend or hire an amateur photographer to come dressed as the “Stalking Paparazzi”. Guests will genuinely feel like celebrities with this camera-toting hound on the loose!
• This night is perfect for playing a movie related trivia quiz. Provide a list of movies and movie stars, and have students match as many actors/actresses with the films they starred in, or have them try to match movie titles with the year the movie was released. Another fun “Hollywood” trivia game is to see who can name the most films that have won an Academy Award™ for “Best Picture”.
• Play a Hollywood variation on the tried and true game of 20-Questions. As each student arrives, pin a die-cut shimmer star on his or her back. Each star should contain the name of a different Hollywood Heavy Hitter (past or present). The goal for each students is to find out who they are for the evening by asking only yes and no questions of the other guests. Limit each person to one question per student.
